Articles by Lynn Swayze

Sitting beside me in the bar that evening, you wouldn’t expect that he’d be a master con man. For one thing, he was short – barely over 5 feet tall. He was also old – well past prime. And he was unattractive – more teeth than Julia Roberts with none of the hair.

And yet this man was able to schmooze anyone into happily doing exactly what he pleased – at least for a little while. And he routinely had more than a few “experts” wrapped around his fingers.

Over cocktails, I pressed him to reveal at least one of his secrets. I could clearly see he was doing something, but couldn’t quite figure it all out.

He grinned wide and leaned in.

“Do you really want to know the secret?”

“Oh yes,” I answered.

What he told me was so shockingly simple, I about fell out of my chair because I’d seen it SO MANY TIMES in my life.

And when you hear it, the light bulb will go off in your head too.

Listen: If you’ve ever tried to use “reason” or begging to get people to do what you want, then this is for you.

Or if you’ve ever agreed to something against your will, you might have been a victim of what I’m about to reveal, and you need to pay close attention too.

This latter reason is really why I’m sharing it with you today. Because if I can help even ONE person avoid being manipulated by abusers, I’ll rest happy.

Okay, back to the story.

“The secret,” he said,

“Is to use a simple three-part formula when you want to convince someone to do what you want.”

Honestly, I was skeptical and this sounded too easy to be true, but this man was a millionaire who managed to get otherwise intelligent people to do insane things on insane deadlines, so who was I to argue?

He continued, “and you have to use all three to make it work and you have to have these ready before you start a conversation.”

“Sounds good. What’s first?”

He leaned in. “The first part is the action you want them to take or what you want them to believe. So let’s say that you want someone to finish a project in a week, even though everyone knows it’s going to take a month.”

I nodded. “Okay. So the first part is what I want. What’s next?”

“Well, the next component is what they want. It’s often what a normal or reasonable person would expect. For example, in the example it might be moving the project deadline to a full month away, rather than a week away from now.”

I sipped some more of my drink. “So we have my ask and their ask. What else is there?”

His eyes lit up. “Ah, that’s the question. The magic ingredient is what makes it all work. It’s an outside person or force that prevents you from acting “reasonably” or otherwise complying with their request. It puts the blame on someone else.”

My eyes widened. Of course! I’d heard this with my ex-husband many times before, so it wasn’t new.

He continued, “So you put it all together by saying something like,

‘I don’t really care about this project. If it were up to me, I’d give you two months to get it done. But the investors are breathing down my neck, so I have no choice but to ask you to speed it up. They’re calling and yelling at me every day. So can you go ahead and try to get it done by next week?”

Of course, what he didn’t tell me is that there were MULTIPLIERS to this effect, if you’re really the psychopathic type.

You could:

Shame the person into compliance (“can you get it done in a week, or are you not as capable as you said you were?”)

Appeal to their ego (“can you get it done in a week, or do I need to hire someone with the capacity to get it done fast?”)

Promise reward (“can you get it done in a week? If you do, I promise to let you guys take a week off to make up for the rush.”)

Promise punishment (“can you get it done in a week, or do I need to replace you with someone else who can?”)

Of course, these multipliers make it more obvious that you’re persuading someone, so aren’t used by smoother persuaders.

What he taught me that day made it clear that his success had more to do with persuasion and manipulation than outright marketing chops, although….

… what is marketing but persuasion in print?

To recap, here’s the “Con Man’s Persuasion Formula”

“I really don’t care about X, if it were up to me, I’d Y, but Z is on my back, I have no choice. So can you go ahead and do X for me?”

Use it at your own moral peril, and good luck fending off the narcissists, psychological parasites, and other monsters in this world.

If you need some help with persuasive copywriting, you know where to find me. LynnSwayze.com, or email me at copywriter@lynnswayze.com to discuss your next project.

And you go from a big city to a small town where you’re the most interesting thing since sliced bread. No matter where you go, your arrival is on everyone’s lips.

At the diner, everyone is fawning over how much you’ve grown.

At home, new friends come bearing gifts (a truck of your own).

And at school, everyone wants to befriend you and join your inner circle.

Sounds amazing, right?

But wait, there’s more.

Turns out, the hottest, most available guy in school likes YOU.

In fact, he’s so attracted to you, it pains him physically.

You end up together. Then he leaves.

Then another guy, equally hot, also fawns over you.

Meanwhile, entire bands of vampires ALSO want you.

Basically, everyone wants to either be your friend, date you, or kill/eat you.

And moving on, you end up becoming a vampire with super powers.

Again, you’re hot shit and super special.

So special the vampires are going to start a war over you and your gorgeous lovechild.

But in the end, you live happily ever after being your badass powerful self with access to magical abilities, immortal beauty, and riches.

Now, if you’re anything but the target demographic of 12-18 year old women who want a romantic fantasy, that story might seem a bit gross.

But to the target audience?

It’s compelling enough to spawn a hugely profitable ($$$) empire.

That’s the power of story. The trick is knowing WHO you’re writing to and what story will actually move THEM.

The problem?

So many entrepreneurs try telling a story about themselves which doesn’t resonate.

I mean, I can tell you how crappy my childhood was, but do you care?

No!

What you want to hear is the process I used to drum up a winning campaign.

Or how I came up with ideas for this, or that.

Or maybe some nightmare story, long past, about how I went from flat broke to millionaire.

But a current nightmare story? Nope.

Or a story that has NOTHING to do with what the buyer wants? Also nope.

Or even, a story that has NOTHING to do with the buyer’s current experience (or a worse version of it)? Also nope.

Your story has to resonate with WHO you’re selling to…

… what pain points they have…

… and what promised land they hope for themselves.

You can do it with your own story, if you have a good one.

But you can also do it by using:

Client case studies and stories

“Expert” case studies and stories

Media/Pop culture references

Buyer Objections

Competitor Stories

And if you really look around, you’ll find highly successful people ALREADY using this method to their financial benefit, and you could do the same.

Or, you could keep pumping out lifeless stories no one wants, hoping eventually something will eventually ring a bell for your audience.

Listen: I’m writing a book that will help you come up with the eleven marketing factors (one of which is the story) you need to write great marketing. I’m also giving out 15 FREE copies to those who let me know they’re interested NOW.

If you’re having trouble with knowing what to write in your blog posts…

… or what to share on social media…

… or where to find your ideal clients…

… then today’s post is for you.

What I reveal today may very well blow the lid on your existing marketing efforts and finally get you the wins you the deserve.

Sound fair?

Good.

So let’s get down to it.

The secret to getting more leads and sales isn’t always a matter of having the right process.

Sure, that helps, but it’s not the whole picture.

That’s because one principle I’ve learned as a result of building the 11 Marketing Factors is that specialization wins when you want to attract high quality clients, earn more respect, and achieve more success as a consultant, copywriter, or other service-based entrepreneur.

Which means, if you have the right tactics but not the right focus, then all your hard work will be for naught.

(That is to say, you’ll have wasted your precious and irreplaceable time on tasks which won’t actually push the needle.)

When you know these things, you’ll be able to know with complete confidence whether a big idea, offer, or marketing message will work, because you’ll know your prospect as well as you know yourself.

Your stories will actually resonate with your audience more often.

Your offers will land with responses like, “This is EXACTLY what I need!”

Your pain point descriptions will make them say, “This is me!”

And your buyers? Well, they’ll be the kind of people who will actually use and implement what they buy.

But this stuff doesn’t come by accident. It comes when you’re deliberate about the 11 Marketing Factors and when you SPECIALIZE.

So if you’re having trouble getting enough clients, then it’s time to niche down even further. W

Here are some more benefits to specialization:

** INDUSTRY EXPERTISE **

Imagine knowing everything that’s going on in your industry. Who the players are, what offers are being made, what’s working, what’s not working. You know the industry inside and out, and that lets you create better marketing than your “competition”. So you never sound like a copy-cat or a wannabe… you’re a leader who’s always one step ahead.

** AVATAR EXPERTISE **

Diving deep into the market also allows you to know exactly what your ideal buyer struggles with. You know what other “gurus” they’ve worked with. You know the books they’ve read. You know where they’ve succeeded, where they’ve failed, and what a “win” looks like for them. You even know what “trigger words” to include in your marketing to make them buy.

** EXCELLENCY OF RESULTS **

Specialization allows you to master the delivery of a very specific result in a very specific way. You become proficient in consistently getting the promised result for your client. So you get more referrals, more positive testimonials, and more amazing case studies every time you take on a client. Which in turn keeps your calendar booked with amazing clients who pay well. Win-win for everyone!

** EFFICIENCY OF RESULTS**

In addition to consistently getting excellent results, you’re also going to get those results efficiently. You’ll be able to know how to do that thing – whatever it is you do – with speed because you’ll have seen so many permutations of the same problem. You’ll have enough experience to know when to do X instead of Y… or when Z is really best. So you end up doing less work while getting better results for higher pay and more respect.

If you’d like to learn more about the Eleven Marketing Factors and how they help you build a competition-proof business with stronger marketing, then you’ll want to get on my list to be first in line to get a copy. The first 15 will even get a FREE copy.

Opt in to the insider’s list by sending me a PM. I’ll personally reach out when it’s ready… AND I’ll rush the condensed 3-page version as a thank you for being so awesome.

If you’re having trouble making your marketing work, it might be time to look at what you’re doing to grab attention.

Are you using pattern interrupts in your VSLs, stories, and social media?

Are you using personality to differentiate your marketing from the bland brand voice everyone else is using?

And finally, are you making attention-grabbing offers that your buyers actually want to take advantage of? If not, why not?

“Offensive” marketing isn’t new. The good news is you can find it in the annals of marketing going back over a hundred years. You can find it in emails, books, VSLs. You can even find it in infomercials.

It’s everywhere, IF you know where to look.

And when you need help with this, send Adam and I an email at copywriter@lynnswayze.com, or send a PM and we’ll discuss your project. If it’s a good fit, we’ll take it on. If not, we’ll refer you to someone else who can help.

If you’ve followed marketing consultants for any length of time, you’ve probably run across the numerous high ticket offer gurus out there.

At this point, almost everyone has jumped onto the “high ticket or bust” mantra.

You know, the ones who say that:

👉 Low ticket offers, or ascension marketing, is “dead”

👉 Low ticket customers don’t have “skin in the game”

👉 You can’t build a business using multiple product lines

And frankly, it’s easy to see why this is so damn popular.

🔥 For one, it’s profitable to sell to those who can afford a high ticket price…

🔥 And second, it’s nice to only spend your time with those who’ll treat you well…

🔥 And it’s great to work with those who are ready to implement…

But most of all, it’s much easier to run a business off a single core offer (or group program) than it is to customize projects for each client.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch to “just price higher” and it’s one the high ticket gurus don’t mention very often.

Changing only your pricing, without also changing THIS (which I’ll reveal in a moment), is guaranteeing you’ll get even fewer sales than you did before.

Which is why you’d be wise to keep reading and then take heed to what I’m going to tell you today.

You see, all pricing exists in what I call the “Pricing Goldilocks Zone”.

👉 Price to little for the person you’re targeting, and they won’t buy.

👉 Price too high for the person you’re targeting, and they won’t buy.

There’s a finite range you’re working with.

So if your product sold like hotcakes at $500, but then didn’t sell at all at $2500… you’ve stepped out of the zone.

Or if you usually sell $15,000 packages and couldn’t get a soul to nab your discounted offer… you’re also stepping out of the zone.

But wait, there’s more. 🙂

The REAL TRUTH is that this “pricing happy area” is based on eleven unique factors. (That’s the “thing” I mentioned earlier.)

And like planets in a heroic journey, each of these factors has to be in complete alignment in order for your marketing campaigns and offers to truly work.

Thankfully for you, I lay them all out in detail in my soon-to-be-released book, The Eleven Marketing Factors.

Interested enough to be first in line to get your copy? (And maybe even be one of 15 who’ll get a FREE copy?)

Opt in to the insider’s list by sending me an email at copywriter@lynnswayze.com. I’ll personally reach out when it’s ready… AND I’ll rush the condensed 3-page version as a thank you for being so awesome.

Every once in a while, I come across copywriters who can’t “get it up” for clients.

That is, they can woo the client into working with them.

And they can promise the moon and come up with a big idea.

But actually writing the copy?

That’s when they wilt faster than a stalk of lettuce on a hot summer day.

I’ve seen copywriters spend weeks… even months… trying to hammer out copy that should only take a week or two with the right process.

Heck, it used to be me. 🙈

I’d beat myself up because I believed I was a *terrible* copywriter.

(Despite loads of praise, DATA, gobs of training, etc… )

And then I’d never get anything done because I was AFRAID of failing (because obviously, terrible copywriters fail. Ugh).

And while now that belief is gone thanks to Erin Pheil at #Mindfix, I want to share a workaround that helped me get through the self-doubt obstacle course.

It’s like viagra for your copywriting.

What the workaround does is basically trick your mind by giving you RITUAL. And by going through the ritual, you let your subconscious take over and before you know it, copy starts flowing out of your brain like water out of a rock.

To pull this Moses magic, here’s what I did:

Found/created systems that helped me gather all the puzzle pieces.

Found/created systems that ORGANIZED the puzzle pieces.

Built the damn puzzle.

It’s that simple. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

🔥 Systems that help you gather the puzzle pieces (research):

– My “11 Marketing Factors” template (lynnswayze.com/11factorsfree)

– Todd Brown‘s E5 System

– Pre-Copy Checklists (Clayton Makepeace has a good one in his speedwriting course)

– Kevin Rogers (CopyChief) notecard method

– Robert Planks’ Speed Copy Program

🔥 Systems that help you organize the puzzle pieces (structure):

– Todd Brown E5 System

– CopyHour Training

– Joe Schriefer’s “Copyboarding” training

– John Carlton Simple Writing System

– Robert Planks’ Speed Copy Program

– Colin Theriot ‘s copy templates

🔥 Systems that help you build the puzzle (write/edit):

– John Carlton’s Simple Writing System

– Copy Hour Training

– Clayton Makepeace’s programs (Quickstart, etc)

– Bond Halbert “Copywriting Method Part III” book on editing

– Kevin Rogers – Copy Chief– get advice on your copy after it’s been written

– Copy mentorship, like with Trevor ToeCracker Crook or Pete Godfrey

To organize it all for myself, I made a “copywriting grimoire” I can go through… like my own personal textbook of all the things I’ve learned and want to remember when I research, structure, write, and edit copy.

It helped me tell myself, “OK, I went through all the steps. This is going to be good copy.”

Which let me:

Write better copy.

Write faster copy.

Have more confidence in my copy.

Get better results for clients

Of course, nothing beats eliminating your 🐒 mindset monkeys 🐒 with the help of Erin Pheil #Mindfix , but if you can’t do that now, then try this.

About Lynn

She writes copy for consultants, course creators, alternative health supplements, mindset coaches, and IT companies. She can be hired for landing pages, funnel copy, webinars, VSLs, and story-based email series. Send an email to hello@lynnswayze.com to discuss your next marketing project and how Lynn can help.